Note: Thoughts are in italics. Asterisks (*) indicate Anise's thoughts to Freya.
Tildes () indicate Freya's thoughts to Anise.

"I originally came from a planet where the people were not afraid to show their affection for someone," Freya explained patiently to the Human for whom she had romantic feelings. "When we wanted to Lo'machen—"

Jack raised an eyebrow at the unfamiliar word, interrupting with an "Excuse me?"

"I believe you call it—"

"—Something else," Jack hurriedly cut her sentence off again.

"Anise—my symbiote—is far more interested in Doctor Jackson on an intellectual level...but she would have to suffer."

* Ah! You selfish— * Anise tensed, feeling immediate hostility at her host's thoughtless words.

Caught completely off-guard by the entire situation, Jack attempted to dissuade Freya's advances. "Look, there's so many reasons why this is wrong...weird...wrong...did I mention wrong?"

"Is it because I share my body with Anise?" Freya suspected.

"For starters," Jack replied as nicely as possible.

Freya was very disappointed in his behavior. "Then you do not find me attractive?" She didn't wait for a response before attacking him again with another kiss.

He held her away gently but firmly. "Hey, I could blow here any minute."

"If I was the target, your Za'tarc programming would have triggered long ago."

Jack considered that. "Good point," he conceded mildly.

* Give it up, Freya. He doesn't want you. *

Freya silently shushed Anise's unwanted input and inquired a bit jealously, "Is there someone else to whom you are loyal?"

Anise piped up again. * Someone by the name of Samantha Carter, perhaps? *

Colonel O'Neill seemed to stutter around that suggestion. "That—that's not really the point here, is it?"

* Oh, I beg to differ on that, Human. We Tok'ra know these things. *

Sensing the Colonel's reluctance to directly answer that question, Freya sadly stepped back. "I sense you have been made uncomfortable by my offer."

"No! No...it's just...well, yeah."

"I had heard that the humans of earth had many inhibitions and stigmas concerning intimacy."

"Yes...yes, I've heard that too," Jack responded neutrally. "There's also the matter of timing."

"I am hopeful we can help both you and Major Carter," Freya offered with sincerity. She didn't really want to hold a grudge against Samantha Carter—after all, the woman was greatly responsible for finding a willing host for Selmak.

"Then maybe you should be out doing that, don't ya think?"

Still feeling her Tok'ra mean-streak, Anise snickered at Jack's obvious rejection of Freya's affections.

Freya retreated to the grey steel door. "Once again I find myself feeling the need to apologize."

"Oh, no need! We're adults." Jack gave a rather impatient tap on the door's window to signal the guards outside to open it.

Freya stepped into the doorway, then turned to face him again. "I will learn more about your customs so I will not make you uncomfortable again."

Jack simply smiled and waved goodbye.

Anise resumed mocking her host as they strolled through the cement corridors of the SGC. * You do realize that you made a complete fool of yourself? *

~ Be quiet. ~ Freya sulked, glaring internally at her symbiote.

* I am very much aware of everything you said to Colonel O'Neill, * the Tok'ra stated angrily. * 'Anise would have to suffer.' I'd like to make you suffer just for thinking it! *

~ Traitor. ~

* And Colonel O'Neill is loyal to someone else, * Anise continued ruthlessly. * Have you not noticed how his eyes constantly follow Major Carter's movements whenever they are in the same room together? *

"Shut up!"

"Excuse me?" Daniel furrowed an eyebrow as he peered at the slender alien woman.

Startled at his sudden appearance in the otherwise empty corridor, Freya was at a complete loss for words.

A blushing Tok'ra host was something Daniel had never seen before, and he might have smiled at it if he hadn't been somewhat concerned.

The redness quickly faded from Freya's cheeks as her eyes closed briefly, indicating that Anise, the symbiote, was now in control.

"Please forgive us, Dr. Jackson," Anise entreated in a fairly soft voice, one she hoped was soothing despite the husky tone inherent to all Tok'ra symbiotes. "Freya and I were...engaged in a small quarrel with each other. I regret that Freya is very...impulsive with her words. We truly meant you no disrespect."

"That's...quite alright," Daniel assured with a pleasant smile. "Sometimes I argue with myself. It's...understandable."

"Yes..." Anise graced him with a smile of her own. This was the Human she was interested in. She'd love an opportunity to unlock the libraries of knowledge in Daniel Jackson's attractive brain...

...but not right now. Right now, he was looking at her a little strangely again. Anise took that as her cue to move on. "Good day, Dr. Jackson."

"Good day," Daniel repeated, watching curiously as the Tok'ra gave him one last glance over her shoulder.

Anise deliberately added a subtle sway to her host's hips as she casually disappeared around a corner.

~ Tramp, ~ Freya silently accused, taking back the control of her own body.

* Look who's talking. *

(time break)

Anise continued her taunting even as Freya re-tested Colonel O'Neill on the Za'tarc detector later on in the day.

"I didn't leave...because I'd have rather died myself...than lose Carter," Jack quietly responded with deep honesty.

Freya's heart sank a little. "Why?"

* Because he loves her! * Anise pressed.

Jack's gaze shifted from the vision-monitoring device and came to rest on Major Carter's face. "Because I care about her...a lot more than I'm supposed to."

* Hah! Didn't I tell you? * Anise gloated shamelessly at that revelation.

Forcing herself not to pout about her unreciprocated feelings (and Anise's uncharacteristic meanness), Freya informed Jack, "You are not a Za'tarc."

* But he is in love with Major Carter, * Anise reminded her.

"Shut up!"

Jack raised both eyebrows at her in surprise.

Realizing she had once again spoken out loud to Anise—and in front of Colonel O'Neill, of all people—Freya blushed a deeper red than ever before.

* You are pathetic. * Anise couldn't help laughing at her.

~ And you are more annoying than any of my sisters ever were. ~